1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a recreational exercise apparatus, and more particularly to an adjustable jumping apparatus that the user rides while bounding about in the fashion of a pogo stick.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The pogo stick is widely known and still in common use by children. There is something inherently but indescribably pleasurable in bouncing about while essentially standing on a stick. However, the pogo stick has never been well adapted for use by adults; the internally housed coil springs providing resiliency in the device tend to be stiff, slow to recoil, and ill-suited for heavier loads. Further, aside from the most ambitious child after a Guinness World Book of Records mark, even children tend to suffer a certain degree of boredom after using the pogo stick only a short time. This may be attributable to the effort required to produce a thrilling bounce, if any can be produced at all. Even so, the pogo stick remains an appealing toy.
Furthermore, the pogo stick is, at least potentially, a useful exercise device. Again, however, due to the mechanical and structural limitations of existing pogo-stick-type devices, they are not well-suited for exercise. They tend to impart a significant impact to joints and therefore expose the user to possible joint stress injury, and, as is well known, for long term health benefits and injury avoidance, low impact aerobic exercise is generally preferred by health experts. Moreover, conventional pogo sticks are not adjustable and are therefore useful to only a limited range of user sizes and weights. Finally, they are noisy.
While alternative designs have been proposed to overcome the foregoing disadvantages, such improvements generally entail the inclusion of expensive equipment or involve expensive manufacturing processes. What is needed, therefore, is a jumping device that is suitable for use by adults and children of all sizes and weights, that is adjustable, that provides the rider with a thrilling, bouncing ride, that minimizes the danger of joint stress and overuse injury, and that is inexpensive to manufacture.
The bungee pole of the present invention is an adjustable jumping apparatus suitable for use by riders of a wide range of sizes and weights. The inventive apparatus comprises an elongate, substantially hollow housing with reinforced foot pegs attached to its sides. The housing may be cylindrical in shape or any of a number of other polygonal shapes that define a hollow interior. A pole extends downwardly from the housing a and has a base for engagement with the ground during use. The pole slides into the housing through a sleeve integral with the lower end of the housing, which sleeve provides support to the pole and ensures that it moves in a generally straight line along the concentric longitudinal axes of the housing and the pole.
At the upper end of the pole is an integral disc having a plurality of loops fastened to its inferior surface. At least one bungee cord, and preferably a plurality, are connected at their upper ends to the loops and are interposed between the inferior surface of the disc and the interior surface of the lower end of the housing. The bungee cords are connected at their lower ends to a plurality of loops, which are, in turn, fastened to the interior surface of the lower end of the housing. The bungee cords have hooks at each end for removable connection to said loops. The bungee cords are easily removed or installed to tailor the device to the anticipated user. The loops may be removable or integral.
A set of handlebars having hand grips is connected to the upper end of the housing and preferably includes a shock absorber located at its neck. The upper end of housing is preferably removable so that the user can selectively remove or install bungee cords to suit his or her liking.